Rue and the Quell
by Pax Cronin
Summary: Defying all odds Rue, the little girl from District 11, won the 74th Annual Hunger Games. But now, she must prepare for an even bigger challenge, mentoring. Without it being hard enough, it's a Quarter Quell. Can she lead her tribute to victory? Read and find out!
1. Part 1: The Quell

**A/N: This was just a little idea I had while procrastinating :) Hope you like it! **

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The light rain makes soft taps on the roof above my Victor's Village home. I wake up slowly and stretch. I open the blinds and see the vast fields of my home, District 11. I remember how just a few months ago I was just a scared 12 year old in the Hunger Games, how the odds of me winning were slim to none, how I rose above all of them and won triumphantly, feeding the starving children of eleven. But at what cost to Panem? Katniss, the girl on fire, could've started a rebellion with her boyfriend Peeta, but Marvel got her before those plans could come into action.

I get chills as I remember the warm day, Katniss and I had planned to blow up the Career's food supply, making them hungry and more agitated. The plan was brilliant; Katniss would blow up the stash as I would create a big heap of smoke to get the Careers on the run. But after she blew it up I got caught in Marvel's net. I thought it was the end, surely Katniss would take this opportunity to abandon me, I had done my job, therefor I was useless. But no, she found me and cut me free. As she did this Marvel revealed himself from the bushes. Holding his spear, he taunted us. He threw the spear but Katniss shot him in the neck with her bow before the spear hit her abdomen.

I begin to tear up, thinking of everything she had left behind in twelve: her sister, her mother. And her poor boyfriend Peeta, who died later on in the Games, I later learned that he was ravaged by a terrible infection about half way through the Games. District 12 had a chance this year, but their most promising tributes let them down.

I've experienced so much this past year, and now I have to relive it as a mentor. Yes, a thirteen year-old mentor. Crazy right? Even crazier, this year is a Quarter Quell, meaning that there will be a twist in the normal Games, I wonder what they'll be, and how I'll have to guide my tribute to victory.

I am Rue, and I am a Victor. I survived the 74th Annual Hunger Games with nothing but my small stature and a slingshot that I got in the Games that sits proudly over my bed. It killed Cato, my only kill. He was so strong, and I was so weak. But with my carefully aimed slingshot I shot him in his weak spot, his neck.

Tonight President Snow will announce what the surprise will be. I'm worried for my siblings, all five of them. With a Quarter Quell they can make it so that ANYONE could be picked, at ANY age. Which scares me. I know that they would be targeted, defiantly.

As the day ends all of Panem is forced to watch President Snow's announcement for the Third Quarter Quell, I sit on the edge of my seat waiting, hoping, praying it isn't what I think it will be.

"To remind the districts how it was their CHOICE to rebel against Panem, all tributes must volunteer." President Snow booms over the television. My mother turns off the TV, "Off to bed all of you." But I just sit there, thinking about what I'm going to do.


	2. Part 2: The Reaping

Part 2

Today is the day of the reaping; I remember how last year I was reaped with a nice boy named Thresh. I remember how my mother came close to me when I was in the Justice Hall and whispered to me: "Darling I love you, remember that Rue?" I began to cry, "Yes, yes of course," I had cried back to her. Now I'm on that very stage where I was reaped, this time as a mentor. I sit next to Thresh's old mentor, Chaff. He is a middle-aged man with dark skin similar to mine, but unlike me, he is at least 6 feet. But he only has one hand, it was lost in the 45th Hunger Games when he was caught in a fight with the male tribute from nine. "Cut his arm clean off." As my mother told me.

After all of the kids are directed to their spots the escort from last year comes up, she smiles at me and I smile back, she always had a soft spot for me. Her dress is short and puffy it is green to resemble the agriculture of District 11. Her hair is pointed straight up in a twisting look; on the side is a stunning light blue flower. She struts up to the microphone, "Ah, welcome, welcome District 11! The time has come for the courageous man and woman to step up as the tributes for the Third Quarter Quell!" she says in her normal Capitol voice, light and from the back of her throat. We watch the propaganda video for the Games, and then she speaks up again, "I never get tired of watching that! Now, we need one man and one woman to volunteer. Let's get this over quickly so we don't have to stay here all day, I forgot my sunscreen!" She says trying to crack a joke.

We wait in the square for twenty minutes, silence, dead silence. I swear I can hear mockingjays singing from the orchards. "I volunteer!" says a girl from the 18 year old section. She looks tough, she looks like a Career. Her tan skin and black hair is just like mine, then again it's sort of a trait here in District 11. As she steps up the escort leads her over to the microphone and makes her tell everyone her name: "Berry Newhope." She says strongly.

We have to wait until for forty more minutes until we have a boy tribute volunteer. He looks about 12, unlike everyone else from the district he has light skin, I look to the crowd and I see a mother, falling on the ground, crying. I begin to tear up. Why would this boy volunteer? What's his story? When he walks up the escort instructs him to tell the crowd his name, "Basil Dropp." He says, his voice is still shrill, like a young boy, just like he really is.

"And there we have it, our District 11 tributes for the Third Quarter Quell! Berry and Basil!" the escort says as the tributes are shuffled into the Justice Hall.

I am lead back there as well, only for a minute though. I am then taken onto the train that will take the tributes to the Capitol. I am directed to remain in a car before the tributes, so I can come in after we depart. My heart beats faster and harder, I feel a bead of sweat drip down my face, these tributes are relying on me for their survival. How can I do this? After we depart I am taken to the tributes' car. My heart skips a beat as the door opens.


	3. Part 3: The Train

Part 3

As the door slides open I clearly see the two volunteers Berry, and Basil. Berry sits with her arms crossed, puffing loudly. I suspect she is cursing under her breath. I look over to Basil; I remember how last year I was in his position, young and in the Games. I don't know why he would ever volunteer.

Chaff goes over to his tribute and starts to ask him about his life. I mirror him, but with my tribute. I sit down across from her: "Why did you volunteer?" I ask

She looks up, "Because I was tired of the whole district crying over who would volunteer." She says.

I don't dare to talk to her anymore, she looks angry and I don't want to irritate her more. I look over to Chaff and Basil and they seem to be chatting it up near the bar. I decide to stop trying to crack the nut that is Berry and try to figure out what Basil is all about.

"So you know Haymitch Abernathy!" Basil exclaims loudly.

Chaff laughs, "Yeah I do, one of my good friends!"

"That's amazing! He's my favorite victor!" he remembers that he may have offended both Chaff and I, "Uh, I mean one of, you guys are my favorite."

I laugh, "It's ok. I'm not much of a victor anyway."

Chaff and Basil stop and turn very serious, "You're as much as a victor as me, Haymitch, Annie, Finnick, and every other tribute that has won." Chaff says.

I've never seen Chaff like this, last year he was pretty much wasted all of the time. But he kept Thresh alive up to those scary muttations. I remember seeing his, huge to say the least, it had to be twice my size, luckily I was hiding in a tree when they came. Cato tried to climb my tree, but with his heavy armor he couldn't do it. So that's when I shot him with my slingshot. I shiver at the thought of his face, pure terror, but happy to no longer have to try.

I shake myself from the past to find that dinner has been served. There is a delicious salad served first with chicken strips and berries picked this morning in District 11. I almost fill up on the salad but I have become accustomed to the many foods served in a typical meal. Next comes the stuffed chicken with fresh vegetables and spices. For dessert we have a dessert custom to District 11, a Mockingjay Cake.

Even though many people think of that pin that Katniss wore in the arena, but they are most famous here in District 11, I remember my days of working in the orchards when I sang a short song to signal the days end.

Avoxs come over and cut the cake. Inside I see the berries that claim the yellow cake's name: blueberries and scattered black berries. There's an old wives tale that a baker made a cake with these berries and a flock of mockingjays flew over and ate it, the sweet juice in the berries made the birds sing, thus giving them their beautiful voices. I used to believe that, until I was forced to grow up in the Games. The Games change you, whether you're a Career, or a small girl from eleven like me. As I look into the eyes of these tributes, I wonder what will change in them. Whether they will live or whether they will die.

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	4. Part 4: The Parade

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while... But here it is, Part 4! **

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Part 4

I fall asleep to the sound of the wind rushing against the train. At such high speeds the wind sounds like a whistle. I dream that night about Katniss and how she saved me from Marvel, how I couldn't repay the favor. Over and over the spear, flying through the air like a bullet, into her abdomen. How I then took my slingshot and shot Marvel in the chest.

I wake up around 6:30, covered in sweat. I stare at the ceiling of the compartment. Last year I was here, looking at the ceiling, wondering: "Who would ally with the little girl?" I had repeated in my mind.

I did this six months ago on the Victory Tour I saw all of the Districts. From the slums of District 12 to the luxuries of District 1. I remember seeing the crying sister of Katniss, her hair was blonde and her face, pale but pure. Her mother shared her blonde hair but her eyes had deep circles around them and her face was wrinkled like the skin of a morphling addict of District 6. Her arms as she raised the famous three finger salute of District 12 were frail, like glass. I shake her image from my mind and decide that I am hungry, yes, very hungry.

I pull overalls that I wore when I was reaped last year over my body; I tuck in my green shirt that I wore also. I look into the mirror over the bed and fix my hair to my liking; apparently it has become very popular in the Capitol.

There's a knock on the door, "Uh, yes?" I say shrilly.

"Ms. Knell?" says a voice outside the door.

"Y-yes?" I say nervously, nobody ever addresses me by my last name.

"Your needed, we're arriving in the Capitol." Replies the voice

I stand next to the door, ear pressed to the mahogany finish, "Ok, I'll be right out." I say.

I open the door to find that the voice has disappeared. I turn down a hallway to the living/ dining car where I had met the tributes yesterday. I see Basil shaking violently in nervousness. I know I shouldn't sit down next to him, he is in no way my tribute to mentor, but I feel that I will have to be because Chaff will be drunk all of the time like he was for Thresh.

Thankfully Seeder was my mentor; she was so gentle to me, telling me that I would be ok. She told me that I didn't need to kill anyone, just avoid them. Which worked for me, except of course for Cato, I've heard stories about Victors having nightmares about their kills, I haven't had any, just nightmares of the vicious mutts and Katniss's death.

I shake myself from the thought of never ending nightmares of the muttations and the death of my ally. I sit down across from Basil he looks up, "Shouldn't you be helping Berry?" he asks, his tone has changed from last night being happy and outgoing to today, sad and melancholy.

"I don't know where she is." I say

He laughs, "Well I don't know where Chaff is."

"Probably drinking," says Berry who has just entered from the sleeping car.

The stylists come in and break the silence; they take Berry and Basil away to get made up for the Tribute Parade. I remember when my stylist dressed me in that ugly outfit. It was a farm girl's dress with overalls; they placed a tin-foil like halo on my head, to show my innocence to the tributes, audience, and sponsors. They told me I could be like Johanna Mason and act young, but turn into a cold blooded killer. I did half of what they told me.

I wait for hours until around 7:00 when I am taken off of the train and led to the Training Center. The chariots are lined from the doors to the end. I walk over to the horses and pet the one from four. I pet its nose when a figure comes up from behind, "Here, take a sugar cube," says the Victor from District 4, Finnick Odair.

"Thanks," I say as I feed the horse and pet it on the nose.

"First time mentoring?" He says petting the horse along with me, "I thought so. Just remember one thing: Do NOT get attached to your tribute."

I nod, "I don't know if that's possible, she hasn't said three words to me."

"And what about Chaff's?"

"Well, I like him more than Berry." I say shrugging.

"Pax Cronin is the one you'll want to talk to." He says, he points to a dark brown haired boy about the age of 16. I barely remember his Hunger Games, it was three years ago. I was just nine and my mom shielded me away from the Hunger Games.

The boy is talking to a short, round lady with white hair. "He had to mentor at 15, so he's closer to your age than anyone else," Finnick says.

I walk over to the boy, "Hi, Pax, I'm Rue; I was thinking you could help me?" I say as he directs his attention to me. He's tall, really tall, he towers over me.

"Rue, I remember you," he says, "one of the youngest, bravest Victors."

I smile back, "Finnick says that you could help me."

He laughs, "Ok then! Well I have one thing: You have to remember that you were once in their position, scared, alone."

I nod again, "And what happens when they you know die?"

"That's just something you'll have to deal with, Rue. It's hard, but you have to remember to be strong." He says, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Tributes please make your way to the chariots!" says a man's voice.

I quickly run over to the eleven chariot just to see Berry and Basil get on, they are wearing tree costumes, with fruit around their heads. I think they're costume is worse than mine!

The first Districts begin to leave and I run to a door that reads: Mentor Room. In there I find Chaff drunk out of his wits, almost passed out with Haymitch, the mentor from twelve. I take a seat next to Finnick and I watch the parade on small screens built into the metal table.

I fix my eyes to the boy from one. He reminds me of Marvel, his physique, his hair, everything about him reminds me of the boy who killed my ally, the boy who killed, the Girl on Fire

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**A/N: Yes I know, you thought I was done... But I have one more thing to say: The Pax Pals are in the Hunger Games! Yes, it's true we've started a collaboration called the Pax Games! And YOU get to pick the victor! Vote here: topic/112622/66351103/1/**


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